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Ludo (board game)
Ludo is a strategy board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single die. Like other cross and circle games, Ludo is derived from the Indian game Pachisi, but simpler. The game and its variations are popular in many countries and under various names. History Pachisi originated in India by the 6th century. The earliest evidence of this game in India is the depiction of boards on the caves of Ajanta. This game was played by the Mughal emperors of India; a notable example is Akbar. In England, Pachisi was modified to use a cubic die with dice cup and patented as "Ludo" in 1896, patent number 14636. The Royal Navy (RN) took Ludo and converted it into the board game Uckers. Nomenclature Derived from the word ''pachisi'' *In North America, the game is sold under the brand name Parcheesi. Variations of the game are sold under the brand names Sorry!, Aggravation, and Trouble. *In Spain, it is called "Parchís" in Spanish and "Parxís" in Catalan. *In Colombia, it is called "Parqués". Derived from the behaviour of players getting upset or similar *In Germany, this game is called "Mensch ärgere dich nicht" (Man, don't get upset), and has equivalent names in many other languages, such as Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Macedonian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, and Turkish. *In Greece, the game is called "Γκρινιάρης" Griniaris (Grumbler) referring to typical player behaviour. *In Italy, it is called "Non t'arrabbiare" (Don't get upset). *In the Netherlands, it is called "Mens erger je niet!", which has the same meaning as the German name. Other *In Poland, it is commonly referred to as "Chińczyk" (The Chinese), though an equivalent form to the German name also exists. *In Estonia, it is called "Reis ümber maailma" (Trip around the world). *In China, Malaysia and Singapore, it is called "飞行棋" or "飞机棋" (Aeroplane Chess). *In Sweden, it is known as "Fia", a name derived from the Latin word fiat which means "so be it!" Common variations on the name are "Fia-spel" (Fia the game) and "Fia med knuff" (Fia with push). In Denmark and Norway though, the game is known as Ludo. *In Vietnam, it is called "Cờ cá ngựa". *In France, it is called "Petits Chevaux" (Little Horses) or "Le Jeu de Dada" (The Game of Dada) (dada being a colloquial word for "horse") and typically played with horse-headed pieces Ludo board Special areas of the Ludo board are typically coloured bright yellow, green, red, and blue. Each player is assigned a colour and has four tokens in their colour. The board is normally square with a cross-shaped playspace, with each arm of the cross having three columns of squares—usually six squares per column. The middle columns usually have five squares coloured; these represent a player's home column. A sixth coloured square not on the home column is a player's starting square. At the centre of the board is a large finishing square, often composed of coloured triangles atop the players' home columns (thus depicting "arrows" pointing to the finish). Rules Overview Two, three, or four can play, without partnerships. At the beginning of the game, each player's four tokens are out of play and staged in one of the large corner areas of the board in the player's colour (the player's home base or yard  ). When able to, the players will enter their tokens one per time on their respective starting squares, and proceed to race them clockwise around the board along the game track (the path of squares not part of any player's home column). When reaching the square below his home column, a player continues by racing tokens up the column to the finishing square. The rolls of a single cube die control the swiftness of the tokens, and entry to the finishing square requires a precise roll from the player. The first to bring all their tokens to the finish wins the game. The others often continue play to determine second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers. Gameplay Each player rolls the die; the highest roller begins the game. Players alternate turns in a clockwise direction. To enter a token into play from its yard to its starting square, a player must roll a 6. If the player has no tokens yet in play and rolls other than a 6, the turn passes to the next player. Once a player has one or more tokens in play, he selects a token and moves it forwards along the track the number of squares indicated by the die. Players must always move a token according to the die value rolled. Passes are not allowed; if no move is possible, the turn moves to the next player. When a 6 is rolled, the player may choose to advance a token already in play, or may enter another staged token to its starting square. Rolling a 6 earns the player an additional or "bonus" roll in that turn. If the bonus roll results in a 6 again, the player earns an additional bonus roll. If the third roll is also a 6, the player may not move and the turn immediately passes to the next player. Players may not end their move on a square they already occupy. If the advance of a token ends on a square occupied by an opponent's token, the opponent token is returned to its owner's yard. The returned token can be reentered into play only when the owner rolls a 6. Unlike Pachisi, there are no "safe" squares on the game track which protect a player's tokens from being returned. A player's home column squares are always safe, however, since no opponent may enter them. Trivia *In some countries (at least Denmark), a variant for six players is available, but it is uncommon. *Tokens were originally flat bone discs; modern materials are cardboard or plastic. Category:Ludo Wiki Category:Board Games